Advertising device



Aug. 6, 1940. G, RUFLE 2,210,382

ADVERTISING DEV ICE Filed July 2, 1957 I as n nn

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES- PATIENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to animated signs of the kind in which a plurality of electrically energizing sources of illumination,,such as electric.

lamps, are adapted to be selectively illuminated ;to depict figures or letters for advertising or Another object of the invention is to illuminate the lamps of the sign to illustrate movements of figures or indicia.

The invention also resides in the details of construction by which the foregoing objects are attained. I

Briefly the invention is realized in an animated sign having a plurality of electrically energizing sources of illumination, such as lamps, connected with a source of electrical energy, in which the lamps are selectively energized. by being individually connected with the source of electrical energy by circuit completing devices comprising, for instance, conductive elements whereof portions are made conductive. in apreconceived arrangement to correspond to sources of illumination to be rendered'operative.

The invention also seeks an animated sign which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and convenience and practicability in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed descrip tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating various embodiments by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure 1 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic in form, of a fragmentary portion of an electric sign of this invention and circuit completing devices therefor:

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale and in perspective, showing the contact controlling devices of this invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in side elevation, showing a modified form which the invention of Figure 2 may take; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing details of construction.

Referring to the drawing there will first be illustrated a simple form which the invention may take. A fragmentary portion of a sign board is indicated at H) which may, for instance, be mounted upon the outside of a building'and may be of any suitable construction to meet the requirements of the particular location. This sign board ID has mounted thereon, in some convenient fashion, a plurality of sockets l2, each of which is adapted to receive an electric lamp.

Obviously, an electric lamp is illustrative of any,

source of illumination which-may be electrically connected by any electrical means to transmit electrical energy to the source of illumination l3, as will be more apparent as the description proceeds. Preferablyfsuch a sign will be provided with a large number of sources of illumination arranged in vertical and horizontal rows as is now the practice in electrical flashing signs and the like. For instance, such a sign may carry as many as five thousand or more electric light bulbs. One terminal of all of the sockets I2 is connected, "as is customary, to a source of electrical energy illustrated schematically in Figure 1, at Hi. The other terminal of each of the respective lamp sockets I2 is electrically connected to an individual wire Hi, there being one such wire NS for each lamp of the sign so that when predetermined wires l6 are electrically connected with the source of electrical energy [5, the circuit is completed through the lamp in question and it is illuminated. These wires l6 are all conducted, asin the cable H, to a plurality of electrical contact fingers l9 so arranged that each conductive finger |9 corresponds in position to the position of the lamp l3 on the sign board llL with which it is connected.

The electrical conductive fingers l9 are normally urged, as by individual spring means 20, towards a conductive block 22 which may be moved upwardly as hereinafter explained to bring a conductive element, referred to hereinafter as a'conductive pattern plate 24, into engagement with. the plungers IS, the movable block 22 being electrically connected as by the lead 25 with thesource of electrical energy IS. The conductive plungers l9 are suitably guided, as at l8 sothat the point of contact of each plunger on the conductive pattern plate 24 is always at a point corresponding with the particular lamp on the sign which it selectively il-, luminates.

One form taken by the conductive pattern plate 24 is illustrated in Figure 2. It is there conveniently illustrated as a rectangular plate or sheet of conductive material, say, metal, pro-. vided with what maybe called sprocket holes 21 by which its position may be determined on the block 22 as by fingers 28 carried by the block 22. On the surface of this pattern plate 24 is non-conductive material which prevents electrical current passing through the plate except at those areas or that area in which contact is desired. This non-conductive material is illustrated, for instance, as a sheet of fibre board. paper or other dielectric material which has a suitable portion 30 cutout to form an outline, say, of the figure which it is desired to indicate or illustrate by illuminated electric lamps on the sign ID. V

When this pattern plate 24' occupies the position on top of the block 22 in Figure 1, it will be readily appreciated that the conductive plungers 19 which are pressed against the nonconductive areas of the pattern plate 24 will not complete an electrical circuit with the block 22 and source of electrical energy 15 and the lamp corresponding to the conductive plungers will not be illuminated, but the particular conductive plungers l9 which pass through the opening and into electrical contact with the conductive plate 24 will complete an electrical circuit through the block 22 and source of electrical energy [5 to illuminate the particular lamps with which they are in series so that the lamp will form a figure or other indicia corresponding to the outline of the figure I30 on the plate 24, as illustrated in Figure 2.

These various pattern plates 24 may be connected in a continuous chain or belt, as illustrated in the drawings, and may constitute, in effect, a series of what may be considered animated cartoons, as, shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3. As they are brought seriatim in operating position beneath the plungers 19, a luminous indicia corresponding to the conductive portions of the particular pattern plate 24 will appear on the sign it). In the series illustrated in Figure 2, a man is shown in a difierent running position on the several plates and the light will be so illuminated on the sign as to represent the difierent positions of the mans limbs as he runs.

In order to effect a continuous seriatirn illum nation of groups of the lamps to represent the desired shapes, any convenient type of mechanism slidable between the guide members 3|.

from the motor 36, which, at appropriate inter- -vals, also effects movement in an upward direction of a cam-like member 31 having pivotally mounted thereon an arm 39 provided with a finger 40 adapted to engage, at predetermined in- I tervals, a pin 4| on the block 22.

When the apparatus is ready to operate, a continuous belt or band of conductive plates 24 is mounted upon the block 22 so that the first cartoon of the series occupies the position on top of the block 22 as shown and the second cartoon of the series is in register with what is now the rightside, as viewed, of the block 22 as indicated by the plate 26A. The position of this plate 24A is also fixed by the pins 28 through the apertures 21.

' When the apparatus is started in operation, the block 22 is raised to bring the pattern plate 24 up against the lower ends of the conductive fingers E9 to raise them slightly against the action of the springs 20, thereby assuring that all pins I9 are pressed against the surface of the pattern plate 24 and an electrical connection is made irrespective of wear which may take place at the point of the pins l9. At the same time, if desired, .a contact 43 is provided to be raised into electrical connection with the plate 24 to complete the circuit through the wire 25, and to the lamp. This completion of the circuit takes place just after the block 22 is raised so as to insure the proper contact of all of the conductive pins before the lamps are illuminated. Continued operation of the motor 36 then causes the block 22 to be lowered. Thereafter the finger 39 is raised, enegaging the pin 4! which rotates the block 22 about its pivot 30 to bring the conductive plate 24A in position under the conductive pins Hi. This operation is continued to bring successive pattern plates in operative position, those which have passed the operative point returning downwardly along the guiding surface 45 to the place of beginning.

A convenient method of supporting or guiding the plates to prevent wear is to provide a short rod 4! at predetermined intervals along the belt of pattern plates. These rods 4'! may conveniently support sections of the pattern plates as festoons between spaced guiding racks 48. In the illustrated embodiment, these rods 41 are disposed between every four pattern plates and may conveniently be passed through links or rings 49 which flexibly connect the proximate edges of adjacent pattern plates into a belt.

In the embodiment as just described, it will be obvious that there will be a period of no illumination of the sign while one pattern plate 24 is being replaced by the succeeding pattern plate 24A. It will be readily apparent, however, that a battery of these contact making devices may be arranged, each corresponding plunger I 9 being connected to the corresponding lamp on the sign whereby any number of belts of conductive pattern plates may be used and the pattern plate 24, for instance, may be incorporated in the first belt which will first illuminate the desired lamp on the sign while the succeeding cartoon, which shows only a slight deviation in position of the figure to be illuminated, corresponds to plate 24A, will occupy the number one position on a second belt and will be brought in position to illuminate the sign immediately the first illumination period for pattern plate 24 is completed. Again, the third pattern plate, which may be indicated as 24B may occupy the number one position on a third belt passing through a third contact making device to efiect illumination of the sign immediately illumination of the figure of plate 24A has been completed, and so on, as will be understood.

An alternative form of belt containing a pattern is illustrated in Figure 3 as an endless belt 50 carrying a sheet, say, of non-conductive material 5l in which a landscape or the like may be cut out to expose portions, such as a lamp post 52, the tree 53, etc. This pattern plate may be continuously brought beneath the fingers l9 so that a landscape or other indicia may appear to travel across the face of the sign. This is also useful in connection with an animated figure such as contemplated in the Figure 2 modification since the lamp post 52, for instance, may be illuminated as by plungers or pins of one contact making device while the appropriate lamps may be simultaneously illuminated from a second contact making device operating on a belt of the type illustrated in Figure 2, so that as the landscape appears to travel across the sign, the figure I30, which of course must occupy a constant position on the sign, will appear to run on the sign and appear to move relative to the lamp-post 52. In view of the fact that the belt EG-5i continuously moves under the p-lungers it, it is desirable to provide these plungers with rollers 19B or the like and thus constitute plungers IBA which are identical in function with the contact fingers l9 ofthe Figure 1 modification, all as shown in Figure 4.

It will thus be seen that an electric animated sign is provided, the illumination of which may be changed to show different advertising indiciaor the like as often as is convenient and any sequence of indicia may be used depending only on the length of the belt used, all with inexpensive equipment. 1

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well as in the selection or substitution of other elements having the same or an analogous use, and no limitation is intended by the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. A circuit closer for an animated sign comprising a plurality of electric lamps, in combination, a plurality of conductive plungers each of which is electrically connected with a lamp ter- I preformed patterned insulating sheet of flexible fibrous material having portions thereof missing in accordance with a preconceived pattern to correspond to lamps to be illuminated and superimposed thereon and fixed thereto, means to flexibly connect said plates together as a belt, said belt of plates passing between said block and said plungers with a plate resting upon a plane surface of the block, means to rotate the block to advance the plates seriatim in a step by step movement, means to reciprocate the block to bring the plate thereon into contact with the ends of the plungers whereby the ends of the plungers pass through missing portions of the fibrous lamination to contact with exposed portions of the conductive lamination to complete the electrical circuit through the metal plate and the block with lamps in positions corresponding to the exposed portions of the conductive plate.

2. A circuit closer for an animated sign comprising a plurality of electric lamps, in combination, a plurality of conductive plungers each of which is electrically connected with a lamp terminal, means to yieldingly support the plungers individually with corresponding ends thereof in a common plane, a rotatable conductive block electrically connected with the other terminals of all the lamps and having at least one plane surface and rotatable about an axis and reciprocable toward and away from the said ends of said plungers, a plurality of laminated plates each comprisinga preformed patterned insulating sheet of fibrous material having portions thereof missing in accordance with a preconceived pattern to correspond to lamps to be illuminated, means to flexibly link said plates together as a belt, said belt of plates passing between said block and said plungers with a plate resting upon a plane surface of the block, means to rotate the block to advance the plates seriatim in a step by step movement, means to reciprocate the block to bring the plate thereon into contact with the ends of the plungers whereby the ends of the plungers pass through missing portions. of the fibrous sheet to complete the electrical circuit through the block withlamps in positions corresponding to the missing portions of the plate.

3. A circuit closer for an animated sign comprising a plurality of electric lamps, in combination, a plurality of yielding contacts each of which is electrically connected with a lamp terminal, a plurality of plates each comprising a preformed patterned insulating sheet having at least a single cut out defining a preconceived pattern to correspond to lamps to be illuminated, means to flexibly connect the plates together as a belt, conductive means electrically connected with the other terminals of all the lamps and adapted to support a plate in contact with the yielding contacts whereby a plurality of contacts pass simultaneously through the same cut out in the insulating sheet to complete simultaneously a plurality of electrical circuits through said conductive means with lamps in positions corresponding to said out out in the insulating sheet, means to convey the plates between the conductive means andv the contacts, a circuit closer controlling all the circuits simultaneously and means to actuate the circuit closure each time a plate is positioned in register with the contacts.

4. A circuit closer for an animated sign comprising a plurality of electric lamps, in combination, a plurality of yielding contacts each of which is electrically connected with a lamp terminal, a plurality of plates each comprising a preformed patterned insulating sheet having at least a single cut out defining a preconceived pattern to correspond to lamps to be illuminated, means to flexibly connect the plates together as a belt, conductive means electrically connected with the other terminals of all the lamps, means to pass said belt of plates between said conductive means and said yielding contacts whereby the plates rest upon the conductive means seriatim, and means to reciprocate the conductive means to bring a'plate thereon into contact with the yielding contacts whereby a plurality of contacts pass simultaneously through the same cut out in the insulating sheet to complete simultataneously a plurality of electrical circuits through the conductive means with lamps in positions corresponding to the said out out in the insulating sheet.

5. A circuit closer for an animated signco-mprising a plurality of electric lamps, in combination, a plurality of yielding contacts each of which is electrically connected with a lamp terminal, a plurality of-laminated plates each comprising a conductive sheet and a preformed patterned insulating sheet superimposed thereon and having at least a single cut out defining a preconceived pattern to correspond to lamps to be illuminated, means to flexibly connect the plates together as a belt, conductive means electrically connected with the other terminals of all the lamps and adapted to make electrical connection with at least one plate, means to convey the plates seriatim in position to register with the contacts and means to bring a plate intocontact with the yielding contacts whereby a plurality of contacts pass simultaneously through the same cut out in the insulating sheet to complete simultaneously g a plurality of electrical circuits through the conductive means with lamps in positions corresponding to said out out in the insulating sheet.

GEORGE H. RUFLE. 

